Blossman Gas commercial features Sydney Waldman

A wild whistle and the beat of a drum excite senses before a band of friends draw viewers into their adventurous world.

Just as you become engrossed in this youthful ramp through the woods, you find yourself in front of someone’s mom and her disapproving glance over your disheveled appearance.

Sydney Waldman on set for a Blossman Gas commercial. Waldman and the other child actors were on set for a total of 12 hours to complete the 30-second commercial. (photo submitted by Renae Waldman)

Sydney Waldman, a sixth-grader at Polk County Middle School, plays a key role in this commercial for Blossman Propane Gas, Appliances and Service.

“I still feel kind of in shock that I am going to be on TV and not just in the background of a scene,” Sydney said. “I normally do plays so I wasn’t really expecting to do a commercial, but I was really excited to get the part. Then it was really cool having all the lighting and the cameras around you.”

Waldman’s mom, Renae, said the family found out about an audition for the commercial through another Tryon resident Suzanne Metcalf.

“She had seen Sydney in some local plays and told me we should let Sydney audition. It was intimidating because we had to create a resume and headshot to send over before getting an official invite to the audition,” Renae said. “When we go to the audition there were kids from Charlotte and Atlanta, and other bigger cities who even had agents. She really wanted to do it, though, and she had a ball.”

In the commercial, Sydney and her gang of fellow imaginative youths attempt to elude “quicksand, piranhas, man-eating plants,” and apparently even warm showers in the fun-loving commercial that encourages viewers to consider natural gas as a heating source.

Shooting the commercial itself wasn’t a quick effort. In all Sydney spent 12 hours on set with multiple make-up refreshers including new applications of mud on her face, clothes and hair.

“Even though it was a 12-hour shoot and it was really long, I enjoyed every minute of it. I even enjoyed when we had to walk in the freezing cold river and when they dug mud out of the ground and rubbed it on our clothes and face,” Sydney said of the experience.

“It is amazing what all goes into a 30-second commercial. The shoot was 12 hours long and the call was at 7 a.m.,” Renae Waldman said. “We even went hiking through the woods at the arboretum to get to different spots.”

Not only will the commercial be seen locally but across the eastern United States.

The commercial is slated to air for the first time the week of March 31 on Fox, WLOS, WSPA and on Bravo, Food Network, A&E and Entertainment. One of the main times to catch the commercial is from 6-9 a.m. during Good Morning America on ABC. It will also air several other times during the spring and again in the fall from Baltimore to Miami.

Blossman Gas is located in 10 southeastern states including Etowah and Candler, N.C., as well as Easley, S.C.

Sydney is currently in the Polk County Middle School production of “Honk Jr.,” a modern take on the Ugly Duckling, which will run next week Feb. 10-11. She was also in the summer productions of Willy Wonka and Beowulf on a Budget.